- Scoops
- Posts
- 🔍Scoops Spotlight
Hey friends - we’re on the cusp of summer. Can you feel it?
Welcome back to the weekly Scoops Spotlight, where we’ll serve up a little summary of the week with the company scoops that got the most community reactions.
If you haven’t downloaded the app yet, follow the directions at the bottom of the email. It’s an invite-only beta, so you have exclusive access.
🌎 The Big Picture
There was a lot of good news this week. The main headline is that the economy seems like it would be doing well if not for the overhang of an on-again-off-again devastating global trade war.
Employers don’t seem eager to cut staff. Wages are rising faster than inflation, helping people keep spending and supporting businesses.
Corporate America is raking in the dough.
Home prices are starting to come down as more supply hits the market and eases the housing shortage.
After years of the Federal Reserve waging war on inflation, the cost of living is largely under control right now. If there weren’t a risk of tariffs and ballooning national debt from tax cuts driving prices higher again, the Fed would likely be bringing interest rates down by now.
We could be looking at more affordable mortgages, cheaper auto loans, more business investments, and lower credit card strain.
But, alas…
The best news this week is mostly that the trade war is “off again.”
Monday was one of the best days for the stock market in weeks, because the US just backed down, again, from the edge of a full-blown trade war with China.
Let’s unpack what just happened:
Quick rewind:
▶️ In February, the White House hit China with a 10% import tax, blaming the fentanyl crisis.
▶️ In March, that jumped to 20%.
▶️ In April, at the Rose Garden press conference, the US announced a blanket 10% tax on all imports, plus even higher tariffs on major trade partners.
Markets tanked.
Wall Street panicked.
Within hours of implementation, the administration walked it back for every country except China.
China struck back with 125% retaliatory tariffs.
The US escalated total tariffs on Chinese goods to nearly 150%.
And now? A complete reversal.
US tariffs are back down to just the 10% base rate, plus a 20% fentanyl-linked surcharge (the White House hinted this might be dropped soon).
China holds a 10% tariff on US goods in return.
In short, we’re basically right back to pre-Rose Garden levels.
What does it mean?
▶️ The threat of global economic decoupling looks empty.
▶️ Short-term, markets are cheering.
▶️ Long-term? The deeper issues - manufacturing gaps, supply chain dependency, trade imbalances - remain unresolved.
This move signals that the US may not have the stomach for tariffs beyond 10%.
And investors are betting on that.
So here’s the real question:
Was this never a serious trade restructuring?
Or should we expect another tariff escalation?
How are you feeling about the economy? |
Get the full breakdown of all the trends affecting your home, wallet, and career in the new Weekend Scoop on the Scoops app!
🏭 The Companies Everyone’s Talking About
 Walmart Inc. 👍 72% 👥 53% | 🌏 50% | 💰 58% | Tariff Price Hikes America's largest retailer plans to raise prices this month due to the rising cost of merchandise due to new import taxes, despite solid sales and earnings growth Only about a third of what Walmart sells is made, grown, or assembled in America, making the retailer heavily reliant on imports to stock its shelves. |
 UnitedHealth Group 👍 32% 👥 43% | 🌏 48% | 💰 49% | Medicare Probe UnitedHealth Group faces a criminal investigation for possible Medicare fraud related to its Medicare Advantage business, adding to pressure from a declining stock price, shareholder lawsuit, and recent CEO departure. The healthcare giant has already been under scrutiny for potential antitrust violations and civil Medicare billing practices. |
 Apple Inc. 👍 68% 👥 58% | 🌏 57% | 💰 69% | Mind Control Apple is working with Synchron to develop brain-computer interface technology, allowing users to control devices with their thoughts, with potential applications for individuals with limited physical functions. The technology has the potential to enable millions of individuals worldwide with limited mobility to use devices. |
 Starbucks 👍 64% 👥 49% | 🌏 49% | 💰 52% | Barista Strike Hundreds of Starbucks baristas have walked off the job to protest the company's new dress code, which requires solid black tops and has new rules on bottoms. The strike is the latest challenge for Starbucks as it tries to reverse five straight quarters of same-store sales declines. |
 Eli Lilly and Co 👍 57% 👥 51% | 🌏 49% | 💰 53% | Weigh Loss Win Eli Lilly's Zepbound showed greater weight loss and waistline reduction in a head-to-head study against Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, with patients losing an average of 18.4 centimeters around their waists on Zepbound compared to 13 centimeters on Wegovy. This study could influence prescribing decisions, as the difference in waistline reduction may lead to improved metabolic parameters and reduced risk of diseases like heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes. |
Dig into more scoops and vote on company approval ratings in the Scoops app!
❔ The Big Question of the Week
Challenge your perspectives and learn from the community voting on the Scoops app!
Get the Scoops app!
🔐 We’re not on the App Store yet, so it’s invite-only. But signing up is easy:
Apple users: You’ll access Scoops through Apple’s app-testing app, Testflight.
1) Download the TestFlight app
2) Accept the secret invitation link here
Android users: You’ll download the app directly.
1) Download the App Tester app or install it directly from the invitation link here.
Email [email protected] with any questions or issues signing up!
Reply